Combined street indicator and advertising device



Oct. 6, 1925- G. T. MOORE couaimzn STREET iumcxroa AND ADVERTISINGnmvrcE Filed June 3, 1922 Patented Oct. 6, 1925.,

- UNITED, sreiT Es PATENT m;

GEORGE- MOORE, or ST. LOUIS, MISSOURL COMBINED STREET iNnIoAToR ANDADVERTISING DEVICE.

application filed Tune 3, 1922. Serial No. 565,553.

6 of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in aCombined Street Indicator and Advertising Device, of which the followingis a specification.

, The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved streetindicator'for street cars which is operated by the conductor of the carso as to disclose to the passengers of the car the name ofthe nextstreetintersection or car stop.

{Another object of this invention is to provide a street indicator witha series of flaps or cards each bearing a street name or number as wellas advertising matter, and

in which only one flap or card at a time will be disclosed to thepassengers of the car.

A further object of the invention is to provide a street car indicatorwhich is comprised of a revoluble member bearing a series of flexibleshow cards, each being adapted to be intermittently displayed and in'which the revoluble element is turned in one direction during the entireround trip of the street car.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a street carindicator bearing a plurality of display cards with improved meanswhereby the cards can readily be removed and new cards introduced.

Other and further objects'will appear in the specification andbespecifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had'tothe aocompanying'drawings, exemplifying the invention, and in whichFigure 1 is atransverse vertical section taken through the upper portionof a street car looking towardsthe forward end thereof and to which thisimproved street indicating device is applied. V

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section taken Iapproximately on the line II-II of Fig. 1.

' Figure 3, is an enlarged vertical section taken approximatelyon'the'line III-{II of Fig. 2, and showing the lid of the housing inopenposition. 7

.Figure t is a vertical section taken approximately on the line IVIV ofFig. 3, and] included .in'saicl figure is an electrical circuit forbringing on the'operation of this I improved'dev ice;

Figure 5 is avertical section taken approximately on the line 'VV ofFig. 3.

Figure 6 is an enlarged'fragmentary vertical section taken on the line VI-VI of Fig. 1. eferring by numerals to the accompanying drawings 1designates the forward end-' of a streetcar having a cross member2'arranged beneath the roof 3, and secured to sa d cross member is apair of brackets .4,

and engagedin each of said brackets is a de-.

pending portion 5 of a respective supporting arm 6, said arm beinghorizontally extended and each being secured to a respec-v tive sidewall '7 to ahousing 8. v

The extending end of each of the arms 6 is provided-with a bearing 9,and turnably. supported within said bearings is a hori zontally arrangedshaftlO, and rigidly secured to said shaft adjacent each respective endwall 7 within the housing 8 are respec tive sign carrying members ll'and12, the member 11 being provided with .a plurality of notches 13 on itsouter periphery, whereasthe member 12 is provided with a plu. rality ofopenings 14 which are equal in number to the notches 13 of the member11. The shaft 10 and the pair of members 11 and 12 are for the supportof a plurality of sign cards 15,'saidf sign cards being comprised of abodyof material such as paper or canvas, the upper end 16 of each bodybe ing secured to a rod 17;, each rod of each sign card'beingsecured atone end toa re-' speetive opening 1 whereas the opposite end of each rodis engaged within a respective'notch 13, and when each respective pair iof alining notches and openings 13 and 14 are engaged with respectiverods of sign cards, the supportingmembers 11 and 12 therefore willassume the form of a drum.

Rigidly secured to the shaft 10 on the. outside of the member 12 is aratchet wheel 18. said wheel being provided with teeth, 19 on itsperiphery which are equal in number to the number of sign'cards borne bythe mem,- bers 1 1 and -12, and-swingably mounted on said shaft 10adjacent said ratchet wheel 18 is an upwardly extending arm '20, saidarm bearing a spring pressed pawl 21 ad acent its upperend, said pawladapted to engage the teeth 19 of said ratchet wheel, and connected atone end to said arm and at its opposite end at 22 to the adjacent endwall 7 is a coil spring 23, and projecting from said end wall 7 is astop 2 1 for co-operation with said arm. v

Borne by the .end wall 7 which is adjacent the arm 20 is a magnet 25,and leading from said magnet is a wire 26 of an electric circuit 27 saidWire 26 leading to a circuit closing button 28 which is located at therear end of'the street car adj acent the conductor 'thereof. A wire 29is extendedf'rom the button 28 to'a source of electrical energy 30 suchas a battery or the like, and leading from said electrical source is aWire 31 which is extended to andcontacts with the-arm 20. The housing 8in which is contained the drumbearingthe plurality of sign cards 15 isprovided with an underformed' opening 32 as shown more clearly inFigs.at, 5 and 6, an'd formed in the top of the housing is an opening 33which is adapted to be closed by a swingable cover plate 34:, saidopening 38 providing access to adjacent rods 17 of respective signcards15 so that the sign cards can be removed in groups for making achange of the cards, if desired.

Each of the sign cards 15 isprovided with a horizontally extended rod35, each rod 35 being oppositely disposed to a respectiverod 17 of eachsign card,andin the order of arrangement of the-sign cards on the drumwhich is comprised ofthe members 11 and 12 and the sign cards'mountedthereon, said signcards Will assume overlapping positions to oneanother, with the exception of those adjacent the opening :32 of thehousing'S.

In-the operation of a device of thisimproved CllL121CtGl,'tl1G number ofsign cards used will approximately twice the nu1nber of blocks orstreetintersections :at which the street caris scheduled to stop on either ofits in or out-bound trips, for instance, assuming that the length of arun is 33 blocks, the return trip will also include 83 blocks, thereforethe number'of sign cards to be usedwill be approximately 66, as'it isdeemed that the drum bearing the sign cards will be'continually rotatedin the same direction. Let it be assumed that a car has just started onits downtown trip, therefore the first sign displayed will be that'disclosing 33rd Street, and as the car approaches the next block will be32nd'Street,'the'conductor upon pressing the button 28 will close thecircuit 27 thereby causing the magnet 25 to act and draw upon thearmature--36 which is borne by the arm 20, said arm causing the pawl '21to turn the'ratchet wheel 18 the distance ofthe flength of: one of itsteeth in which the shaft'lO wil1 =be turned-and the rod 35of the32nd*signleard will be moved from engagement with the retaining spring'37, in

which the sign card 15 as representing 32nd Street will be allowed tofall and unfold downwardly as designated by dotted lines 38 in Fig. 1,said unfolding card dropping through the opening 32 of the housing 8 andfinally assuming a vertical depending position as designated at 39 inthe majority of the figures of the drawings.

The operating ofthe button 28 by the conductor is of course repetition,and when the end of the downtown run has been reached itis quite evidentthat the sign card disclosing lst Street or the like will be exposed,and assuming that 1st Street form's part of the cal-loop for the up townrun, the next sign card operated will be that disclosing 2nd Streetwhich willbe the same indication as was disclosed, but not the sameparticular sign card, for as aforementioned there will be approximatelythe double amount of sign cards used as thereare street intersections ona one way run.

The members Hand 12 bearing the plurality of sign cards are adapted torevolve in the same direction, and in this connection there will only beone sign card disclosingthe looping street at each end of the round tripalong which the street car is to traverse, whereas therewill be two signcards for all street car intersections located between the loopingstreets.

Inasmuch as the drum bearing the sign cards is adapted to revolve inonly one di= recti'on the-sign cards after being displayed as designatedat 39 will begradually elevated and wrapped in overlapping relation uponeach other asthey are carried on upwardly, the wrapping operation beingassisted by the lip 40 which is horizontally arranged on the housing 8to one side of the opening 32.

If for any reason a conductor overlooks operating-the button 28 giving adifferent block he can readily operate the button more times in rapidsuccession towards causing the desired sign card to be displayed.

A handle 41 is mounted onone end of the shaft 10 for quickly turning themechanism to a desired position whenever called for, such as when it isdesired to change certain of the sign ,c ards, so as to provide newsigns with a different character of advertising matter, as thisimproveddevice as wellas being adapt-ed to street indicating will alsobe used as an advertising medium. by displaying adyertising on eaehsignzeard ranged forwardly of the car, it is obvious that the sign cardswill be viewed from one side only, which will be from positionsrearwardly of the device so as to be viewed by the passengers in thestreet car.

To prevent the 'rods 17 of the sign cards 15 from falling from theirrespective notches 13 when they assume positions below a horizontalplane with the axis of the shaft 10 a curved member 4-2 is provided,said member being held in position by brackets such as 43 which areextended from one of the side walls 7 of the housing 8.

What I claim is 1. A sign card displaying device comprising ahorizontally arranged shaft bearing a pair of rigidly secured spacedapart members, said members being for the support of a series of signcards which are arranged so as to overlap one another, means co-operablewith said shaft for intermittently revolving it and said members in onedirection, each of said cards being borne by said members in a mannerwhereby each in turn can be vertically suspended therefrom, and ahorizontally arranged member to be engaged by the intermediate portionof each card after each card has been suspended for assisting theoverlapping operation of said cards, and a horizontally arranged memberto be engaged by each card after being suspended for assisting theoverlapping operation of said cards.

2. A sign card displaying device comprising a horizontally arrangedshaft bearing a pair of rigidly secured spaced apart memhere, saidmembers being for the support of a series of sign cards which arearranged so as to overlap one another, each of said cards being borne bysaid members in a manner whereby each in turn can be verticallysuspended therefrom, a ratchet wheel rigidly secured to saidshaft, anarmature arm loosely mounted on said shaft, a pawl borne by said arm forengagement with the teeth of said ratchet wheel, an electric magnetcooperable with said arm, a normally open electric circuit co-operablewith said arm and said armature which when closed is adapted to causesaid arm to move and the pawl borne thereby to actuate said ratchetwheel, and a horizontally arranged member to be engaged by theintermediate portion of each card after each card has been suspended forassisting the overlapping operation of said cards, and a horizontallyarranged mem ber to be engaged by each card after being suspended forassisting the overlapping operation of said cards.

3. A sign card displaying device comprising an intermittently revolvablemember bearing a series of demountable flexible cards which are adaptedto overlap one another, means provided whereby each card is adapted tobe vertically suspended in successive order from said member when eachcard has reached a lowered position, means provided for intermittentlyrevolving said member, and a horizontally arranged member to be engagedby the intermediate portion of each card after said cards have beensuspended for assisting the overlapping operation of said cards, and ahorizontally arranged member to be engaged by each card after beingsuspended for assisting the overlapping operation of said cards.

4. A sign card displaying device comprising a housing, a revolvablemember bearing a series of flexible cards which are adapted to overlapone another located in said housing, said housing being open at itslower end, means for intermittently moving said member so that eachcardborne thereby can be intermittently suspended through the open end ofsaid housing, and a horizontally extending lipformed on said housingadjacent the open end thereto to be engaged by each card after beingsuspendingly displayed for assisting the overlapping operation of saidcards.

5. In a sign card displaying device, a horizontally arranged shaftbearing a pair of rigidly secured spaced apart members, said membersbeing for the support of a series of sign cards, a rod from which eachcard is hung, one of said members being provided with a series ofnotches on its periphery each of which is for the reception of an end ofa respective rod, said other member being provided with means for thesecuring of the opposite ends of said rods, and a member co-operablewith said notches for preventing said rods from becoming disengaged fromtheir respective notches.

6. In a sign card displaying device, a horizontally arranged shaftbearing a pair of rigidly secured spaced apart members, said. members,being for the support of a series of sign cards, a rod from which eachcard is hung, one of said members being provided with a series ofnotches on its periphery each of which is for the reception of an end ofa respective rod, said other member having a series of apertures formedtherein for the reception of the opposite ends of respective rods, and acurved member cooperable with said notches for preventing said rods frombecoming disengaged from their respective notches.

GEORGE T. MOORE.

